Steelers free agency grades: Pittsburgh's overhaul of the QB room leaves more questions than answers
A week ago this time, it was clear that the long-standing mantra of loyalty was changing in Pittsburgh after the signing of Russell Wilson. But what the latter part of the week showed is that not only is Pittsburgh transitioning, they turned over a new leaf when analyzing the trade of Kenny Pickett and Justin […]
A week ago this time, it was clear that the long-standing mantra of loyalty was changing in Pittsburgh after the signing of Russell Wilson.
But what the latter part of the week showed is that not only is Pittsburgh transitioning, they turned over a new leaf when analyzing the trade of Kenny Pickett and Justin Fields respectively.
Here's how the moves grade out and what to expect going forward:
QB Moves: B
In an age where QBs often have cap hits that surpass $40 million a year, Pittsburgh is allocating a mere 1% of their cap allowance to Russell Wilson and Justin Fields, with a total a little under $4.5 million.
That alone is a win for Pittsburgh, as they can use the rest of their cap to address deficiencies throughout the roster.
But what keeps this move from being an A is the unknown.
Whether or not you view the QB room in 2024 as better than the one in 2023 is subjective. But what is seemingly forgotten is that Pittsburgh has acquired two QBs that their previous teams wanted no part of.
Denver has taken the largest dead money charge in NFL history to get rid of Russell Wilson, and the Bears received a sixth-rounder in next year's draft in exchange for Justin Fields.
So performance will determine if the position receives an A grade, but financials alone make it a smart move.
Back 7 Moves: A+
The three biggest needs for the Steelers' defense as they approached free agency were safety, corner, and linebacker.
Pittsburgh addressed all three while poaching Pro Bowl LB Patrick Queen from the Ravens, adding a physical and versatile safety via DeShon Elliott, and trading for a solid CB that can play both inside and out via Donte Jackson.
The moves get an A+ because of the ways they complement the defenders already on the team. Queen can be the mover to Elandon Roberts plugger, Elliott the Swiss Army Knife to Minkah's traffic cop, and Jackson the zone corner to Joey Porter Jr.'s island playstyle.
WR Moves: C
Anytime you offload one of the the better WRs in the league in exchange for a player in Donte Jackson who while can still be solid, was no longer wanted by his team, it's not going to pass with flying colors.
Beyond that, Pittsburgh only added WR Van Jefferson to this point, who is a good player, but is a WR three or four option in a good room.
Expect that to change with some key names still left in free agency and a stated WR class in the upcoming draft.
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